The National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) signed a Technical Cooperation Agreement this Tuesday (1st) with a provider of psychological and psychiatric support services for bettors who identify that they are developing a compulsive gambling disorder. The association also launched the Adequacy Seal, by which players can identify whether the platform they are accessing is committed to the regulation of the Brazilian market.
The mental health support pilot project, called the Gambling Research and Prevention Program, will be implemented by Somente S.A., a platform that offers online consultations with psychiatrists and therapy with psychologists. The program, which will be conducted in partnership with ANJL, will also be carried out in person, over the next two months, in three communities in São Paulo: Paraisópolis, Heliópolis, and Nova Jaguaré.
Under the agreement, up to a thousand free consultations will be offered in these communities and up to 20,000 across the country, virtually. This initial action will serve as a basis for a better understanding of the problem of gambling addiction and the definition of the best model for monitoring and treatment.
“This partnership is just a first step that the market is taking so that we can understand the main factors behind cases of compulsive behavior. With this information, Somente will be able to provide us with a more detailed diagnosis, both quantitatively and qualitatively, so that we can define the next steps,” explains ANJL president, Plínio Lemos Jorge.
Plínio says that, although socioeconomic profiles D and E are not the target audience of betting houses, the industry understands that the cases of compulsion that affect this small portion are more sensitive and, therefore, deserve greater attention.
With more than 500,000 people already served, Somente stands out for providing mental health services in partnership with major companies and institutions such as C6 Bank, Porto Seguro, Amil, Bradesco Seguros, Central Nacional UNIMED, PicPay, SulAmerica, Careplus, Caju, Medicina Direta, New Value, among others.
“Our services consist of providing psychological and psychiatric care with professionals of excellence, online, through a simple, safe, and efficient journey. We are certain that this partnership with ANJL will help many people who are having or may develop a compulsive disorder due to gambling,” stated Michel Burmaian, CEO of Somente.
For in-person services, the services will be performed by graduates from universities of psychology and psychiatry, who will work directly in the communities, under the supervision of tutors specialized in gambling addiction. Virtual consultations can be requested through an exclusive WhatsApp number (11-94066-2425), without the need to download any additional app.
Somente is developing, together with ANJL, studies on player behaviors and aims to identify demographic characteristics, analysis of risk factors, and protection associated with the development of gambling addiction.
Furthermore, based on the results, it will promote public awareness about dependency, with a view to implementing responsible gaming practices not only on online platforms but also in lottery houses.
ANJL Adequacy Seal
In addition to this initiative, the association launched the ANJL Adequacy Seal, a brand that can be used starting this Tuesday, upon request, on the websites of all associated betting houses that have applied for the federal license from the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) of the Ministry of Finance.
As the bet.br domain, determined by the Treasury, will only be valid throughout the country from January 1st, the Seal will help bettors identify whether they are accessing a serious and responsible platform, committed to the process of market regulation.
“Our idea is to provide an easily visible element for the users of our associated sites. With the proliferation of illegal sites, uncommitted to best practices, it will be a way to make the player feel more secure while the federal regulation is not in effect,” states Plínio.
Tax projections 2025
ANJL also conducted an analysis of the tax projections of the sports betting and online gaming market in order to clarify public opinion about mismatched information about business volume, bettors' expenses using the Bolsa Família, and the profit of betting houses.
Regarding the information that betting sites had a margin of R$ 450 million, ANJL points out that this value does not represent the profit of the houses, since the expenses involved with marketing, events, employee payments, banking fees, sponsorships, TV advertising, payment of betting systems and risk management and KYC software, among others, were not pointed out.
ANJL's numbers indicate the following marks for 2025:
- R$ 20 billion in bets/month
- R$ 17 billion in prizes paid
- Taxes collected on the prizes:
- Approximately R$ 1.5 billion (exemption margin)
- R$ 3 billion – margin of the houses
- GGR Tax (12%) = R$ 360 million (projections indicate a GGR tax varying between 24% and 32%, depending on the credit structure – corporate taxes + 12%. So it would be R$ 420 million – 28% as an average)
- Estimated normal tax burden: R$ 720 MILLION
- Expenses: indirect taxes from service providers
Source: GMB
